Really expensive systems that sounded great?

Awww, too bad.  I don't care about Atmos.  :D  It's not hifi, it's effects-fi.  A good 5.1/7.1 system is as much installation as I'm willing to put up with in my life.

Daoism is such a big word, and wasn't always a religion.

It was however quite political, and rebelled against the brutality of a distant centralized government Confucianism had made possible.

By "marketed around" I meant that the enthusiast is avoided or worked around instead of deliberately catered to. 

Well I guess I am disappointed that as an audiophile of world renowned taste (good or bad!) I still feel like there's a whole spectrum of audio gear that is deliberately marketed around enthusiasts and through separate installer channels.

We should be fortuante that MBL for instance still does demonstrations on a regular basis.

I get the idea of a 100% single brand solution that goes from HDMI to screen and speakers.

I do feel a little humbled and out of place with Meridian gear though.  Like, their customers are the McMansion buyers, not a mere audio enthusiast. 

It is really hard to tell if Meridian has done much innovation or product delivery for the past several years.

Their surround sound system still seems based on their own quirky split HDMI / proprietary link technology which came out what, like 10 years ago?  AFAIK it's the same gear too.  Do they even support ATMOS? 

The brand just doesn't give me the feeling that they are heavily investing in HDMI / home theater anymore.

I haven't seen actual meridian gear in ages.  Last time I looked it seemed their HT gear was languishing behind, kind of like Theta Digital.